Box Score
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MONTICELLO, Ark. – After Arkansas-Monticello – the No. 16-ranked team in NCAA Division II – fought off a one-run deficit in the 9th and 11th innings, SWOSU was finally able to hold off the Boll Weevils in the 12th inning for the 5-4 victory.
The win gives the Bulldogs two wins over ranked teams in the past two weeks and helped them avoid a conference sweep to UAM. SWOSU is now 4-7 (2-4 GAC) after facing arguably the top two teams in the Great American Conference the past two weeks.
SWOSU took the lead in the top of the third inning when
Brandon Ruiz hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot to left field. UAM tied the game in the fifth inning but left two runners on as the Bulldogs turned a 643 double play to end the inning.
The momentum from the defense carried over to the offense the next inning as SWOSU plated two runs on two hits, including an RBI single from
Zack Mang that brought in
Chris Faulkner and extended the lead to 3-1. UAM got one run in the bottom of the sixth but SWOSU would hold them scoreless the next two innings and take a 3-2 lead to the bottom of the ninth.
In the ninth, UAM got two base runners courtesy of a walk and hit batter and a single allowed one run to score and push the game to extra innings.
Kale Thaxton gave SWOSU the lead in the 11th on an RBI single that plated
Dietrick Turney, but the Boll Weevils again answered by scoring on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the inning.
Faulkner led off the top of the 12th with a single and advanced to second on a sac bunt by
Jiro Morales which set up the winning sequence.
Cam'Ron Summers came in to pinch hit and reached on a throwing error by UAM's pitcher, which allowed Faulkner to plate the winning run after
Travis Leverett shut down the Boll Weevils in the bottom of the 12th.
Leverett picked up the win – his second of the season – after tossing the final 2.2 innings and allowing just two hits and one run.
Jacob Swigart started on the hill for SWOSU and scattered eight hits and two runs over 7.0 innings before
Tyler Hampton relieved for the eighth and ninth innings.
The Bulldogs are back in action next weekend with a three-game set at Southern Nazarene, starting on Friday afternoon.
